This invention relates to novel acetylenic prostaglandin compounds and a process for the preparation thereof.
The physiological effects of naturally-occurring prostaglandins in the mammalian organism and in vitro are only of a brief duration, since prostaglandins are rapidly converted to a plurality of pharmacologically inactive metabolic products. Moreover, natural prostaglandins do not possess any biological specificity, which is necessary for a medicinal agent.
Therefore, there is a need for prostaglandin analogs with a spectrum of activity comparable to that of the natural prostaglandins but in which the duration and selectivity of the effectiveness are increased.
It has now been found that prostaglandin derivatives with a triple bond between the C-16 and C-17 carbon atoms possess surprisingly a longer duration of activity, higher selectively, and a higher effectiveness than natural prostaglandins.